Is Your Business Going to the Dogs?

Janine Popick founded VerticalResponse (now a Deluxe company), provider of online marketing services to small business in 2001 and was the CEO until it was acquired in 2013. She has been a frequent Inc. contributor since 2007 as well as a contributor to the Huffington Post. She’s been featured in USA Today, TIME, Forbes, Businessweek, TechCrunch and Social Media Today. Janine was named 2010 Small Business Person of the Year in San Francisco by the U.S. SBA, and an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalist from 2006-2009.
She writes and speaks on topics related to marketing, small business and entrepreneurship and is an active adviser and investor.

In this dog eat dog corporate world of deadlines, stress and non-stop meetings I got thinking about the effect it has when I bring my pup Dwight to work. The minute he trots in the door people light up. They relax, they smile, they play. And Dwight loves every minute of it. Does this mean we should let the dogs out?

An article from CNN cites a recent study that says, "According to a preliminary investigation published in March in the International Journal of Workplace Health Management by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Business, employees who bring their dog to the office can cap the amount of stress experienced during the day, and improve job satisfaction for all." Less stress and increased satisfaction? Seems like a no-brainer and some pretty successful companies including TRX, ModCloth, Yammer and Google here in San Francisco seem to have found a way to do it by doing the following:

Have a Solid Policy In Place

Google for instance, has a dog policy that outlines a basic set of guidelines including picking up after your furry friend and being respectful of allergic co-workers. And Google is clearly a dog's world as their code of conduct forbids cats under the notion that because Google is a dog place, any visiting felines would feel less than secure. Your policy should also spell out specifics of any breeds not allowed, as well as damages and personal injury issues. Covering your bases and being respectful to all employees will help ensure a good experience for everyone. Also consider that not all buildings and landlords are pet friendly which is a bummer, but if yours is, you may want to try it.

A recent Inc.article discussed how One Call Now even goes beyond dogs. The company has several dogs, fish, birds, turtles and other caged animals that hang out with their humans during the workday. The company worked with their HR team to develop a pet policy, "There's nothing that's not common sense," CEO Lieb Lurie, says of the policy. "So if you have common sense, your pet is welcome. Simple and straightforward.

Take It For a Walk Before You Go Full Force

Take Your Dog to Work Day is just around the corner and is a great chance to "test drive" having dogs, or other pets in your office. Pet Sitter International has a great action pack with all the details to keep tails wagging during the event.

Make Them Part of Your Culture

Modcloth has been one of the fastest growing companies in San Francisco and are known for their mascot Winston who shows up throughout their site. They've incorporated Winston and other pups in their blog and even have a Facebook page called ModDogs which according to their About section is, "meant to showcase our most loved pups and give you a chance to submit your own puppy photos once you join the club!" And judging by the 4,000-plus likes they've got on the page they're creating some great engagement with their customers and fans! This is a great example of taking a positive thing for your employees and expanding the reach to your customers.